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2011-11-27 - Welcome to Earth, Koriand'r
The Star Slider cuts through the atmosphere, a burning trail left behind as it slices its way towards the planet far below. Kori hasn't done a lot of high speed landings, technically none. But she has had to listen to a teacher talk about emergency landings in the distant past, and the Slider is automated enough that it talks her the whole way down. Kori has chosen one of the big cities she'd spotted on the surface, and in moments she is coming up on it, slower than the speed of sound but not by much; she is afraid of indigenous military tracking her. She doesn't know how friendly these people are and she'd rather find out on her own terms than by getting a weapon hit. Coming in low puts Kori in less danger from weapons, but it has its own dangers and one of those dangers jumps up and bites her on the butt as she zipps along above the dark waves. A group of birds burst from the surface of the water, too close for her to do anything but hope they don't hurt the ship as she rips her way through. Alarms go off, the ship struggles and she fights with it as she strains to get everything under control before she slams into the traffic of the big city ahead. With warning bells chiming from all directions Koriand'r struggles to get her ship settled in time for her to pilot it to her chosen landing spot. Ocean gives way to river and river lead to a ride over a forest as she brought the ship to a halt finally. She has chosen a small lake, big enough to hide her star slider in, sheltered in woods. It isn't too much longer before she is standing on the shore, watching the silver vessel settle down into the lakewater. Other than the bubbles it is gone in moments. Frankly, Priss was minding her own business earlier that same evening, when she got a hot flash of a telepathic reading of a controlled panic in an alien thought pattern and language. Priss can't translate it - it's not a language she knows. But the mental images she can grasp, so it is a visual species. And the emotional content still comes through. Whoever or whatever it is, it seems to be in trouble, coming down rapidly through the atmosphere. And it is afraid. Apparently, it is afraid as much or more about what is behind it as it is of what is ahead on Earth. And that makes this something this 'alien hunter' is interested in. Priss checks in with the so-called 'Black Widow', and gets her shift covered, then heads out as quickly as she can mange. She gets out her skybike, and rushes across the city while working telepathically to triangulate the 'signal' of the alien mind and track where it is coming from and where it is headed. This will eventually lead her shooting out beyond the city in directions she has never traveled since coming to New York. The mental flashes of imagaery from that alien mind help her to be sure she's headed in the right direction. As such, by the time the screaming, still-scalding hot spaceship slices into the lake, Priss is landing her bike in the woods and taking time to finally strip and change into her costume. When the orange woman emerges from the ship and floats across to shore, the shadow-shrouded figure of Voodoo stays where she is, observing as the alien calms a bit, watching her ship sink into the lake. Sinking the ship seems to be key to her strategy to hide from whatever is chasing her. So Voodoo steps out from the shadows, sword in hand but held at guard, not pointed threateningly. Not yet. "Hi there. I know you can't understand me. But I'm guessing my calm tone of voice will convey I'm not being threatening. You don't feel like you're hurt." She pauses then touches her chest. "Voodoo." Then she points to the orange girl with her open, unarmed hand. And waits. Koriand'r watches the water boil up around her ship, sending up a cloud of steam into the night sky. It is a relief beyond words. She feels free for the first time in years. The fact that she's on an alien world in the middle of nowhere is pushed to the back of her head for the moment as she absorbs the sense of relief along with the beauty of the landscape. Her revery is cut short by the alien gibberish coming from the woods behind her. She spins about, eyes glowing bright as she prepares instinctively to defend herself. But long before the fight or flight response kicks in she notes the soothing tones being used. Then she spies the woman speaking. Unarmed and speaking in obviously friendly tones the lovely woman hardly looks like she's about to attack. Koriand'r tilts her head as she listens and watches, then she walks towards the other woman, smiling and nodding. She holds up her own hands to show she's not carrying any weapons. In her own language she says, "You are very pretty. I am not going to hurt you. Don't be afraid." She touches her own chest as she gets closer, "Koriand'r" If Priscilla doesn't move to avoid it, she'll soon find the tall orange alien holding onto her lightly as she presses her lips against hers in a long kiss. Voodoo is armed, but it's only a sword and not held threateningly at all, especially once Koriand'r's intial panic and urge to attack fades. A truly dangerous alien would not have eased off as easily or completely, the telepath is sure. She pauses a moment, then repeats Kori's name carefully. It's slow, but pretty clear. When the orange alien woman approaches, Voodoo is curious. She can sense the other has no ill intent, and then she catches a flash of ... attraction? No, not that exactly. Or not only that. But an intention to kiss her. Voodoo considers this for a moment, and then reaches up and lowers her mask, exposing the lower half of her face as she welcomes Kori's embrace, and the kiss. It's not that this is /just/ a welcome, but it is a welcome, and there's some reason the other woman thinks this will help. Voodoo is sure of that. And it's not as if she minds kissing a beautiful woman. Interestingly, Koriand'r's language-absorbing gift will kick in oddly, absorbing not a single language, but a plethora, not all of which are of this world: she's sure of that. One does tend to stick out more than the others, the one Voodoo is thinking in currently: English. But also included are Cajun, Orleans French, european French and Spanish from Earth, as well as Kherubim and Daemonite. Koriand'r pulls away from the kiss, rubbing her lips together as she seems to savor the taste of Voodoo's lips. Then she narrows her glowing green eyes as she parses the surprising amount of information that just through the sensual contact. "Hello?" She tries that in English, not used to having someone give so many languages at once. "I am Koriand'r." She puts her hand to her chest just as she did before, "And you are Vooodooo? Thank you to welcome me to your planet Voodoo." She stands closer than most would find comfortable, still within kissing distance and definitely within smelling distance, within body heat distance. "I come in peace." Voodoo felt that, watched as the mind of the alien woman seemed somehow to connect with hers in a way that both was and was not telepathic, and absorbed her languages, then assimilated them. /That/ is fascinating. She doesn't seem to mind the other woman's closeness at all. "Hello, Koriand'r. And yes. I am Voodoo. Though I will admit, that's not the only name I use." Wow, let's confuse the poor alien right off the bat. Voodoo struggles not to chuckle with amusement at the line 'I come in peace', proof if she needed any that Kori didn't read her mind, or she'd know how cliche that is. "I saw you fly, Koriand'r. If you're up to it, I suggest we fly out of here quickly. The indigenous military authorities of this planet will have tracked your ship, and will send people to investigate. I promise to explain more as quickly as I can, but I do not think you want them to find you, until it is on your own terms. Can your ship hide itself, under there, so that they won't be able to see or detect it?" she inquires. She'd rather the damned human militaries not get hold of alien tech of that degree if she can avoid it. Assuming Kori goes for it, Voodoo leads the way back to her hidden skybike and mounts it, hovering off the ground quickly and then lifting off, flying nap of the Earth at a pretty high clip to get away from the lake, heading first to some caves she saw on her way in. Once they land there, they can talk a bit before she tries to convince Kori to come with her to the City. Kori listens to Voodoo, taking in the sound of the her voice and her language. She smiles at the combination, nodding along with what she says, "It is good to have many names Voodoo." When she says the name this time she lift her right brow, "Are you magic?" However, the answer the question isn't vital, she follows Voodoo through the woods towards her skybike, "I do not wish to be meet your military Voodoo. The ship should be safe from being found. That water is deep and the ship is now sleeping. It should seem to be part of the bottom of that lake." She smiles and lifts off from the ground, her hair ignites with energy and lengthens and as she flies after Voodoo and her bike the glowing energy trail lengthens proportionate to her speed. As she lands at the cave she says, "Your world is very pretty Voodoo." She is busy looking up into the sky in the direction they just came from, watching helicopters head towards the lake. Voodoo smiles before pulling up her mask again, pleased because Koriand'r seems so pleased, calm and so accepting of all of this. "Magic? Oh. No, it is a 'nickname', if you now know what that means. I am not magical. But I am telepathic, amongst other things." Given the energy trail from Kori's hair, it is a good thing Voodoo decided they should stop off nearby and hide until the authorities are gone. That won't be easy to hide in mid-air, and she is as anxious to avoid the military as Kori is right now. Once they are settled, Voodoo turns on her powered-down skybike to face Kori's back, letting the other woman watch the world. "It is very pretty, in many places. Like most worlds, it has its ugly things too. We call this world Earth. And yes, that's also a word for dirt or soil." Funny, isn't it? "We call the people here 'humans'. I am part human. Part of me is also a blend of two other alien species, called the Kherbim and the Daemonite. Normal humans are not telepathic and do not have the other abilities I have. Those come from my hybrid alien heritage. Normal humans cannot fly. Nor can they gather languages with a kiss." She sounds like she's smiling at that last. Koriand'r watches the helicopters circle the lake like hunting birds, disgorging government agents from their sides. Only the lights of the vehicles would be visible to normal eyes, "They hunt for me. For my ship." She looks a bit concerned, but then sighs and turns her back on it all to focus on the woman who gave her such a pleasant welcome. "Oh. I know. Nick's Name means it is not your real name. It is a fun name used by friends. I am honored to be your friend to use your Nick Name Voodoo. I do not have a Nick Name to share with you I am afraid. I am just Koriand'r." Her feet lift from the ground and she gracefully floats across the distance separating them, settling upon her feet within close touching distance once more, "Dirt. Most worlds seem to name themselves dirt." She beams at the other woman, her eyes not quite glowing anymore now that she's settled, "You are not human?" She reaches out to brush her fingertips along Voodoo's cheek, "You look like the images I received on my way here. You are very pretty. All these species blend together very well inside of you." Then she offers her smile again, "All Tamaraneans can do that. Well, it only takes a touch really." Voodoo smiles. Nick's name? Nah. But close enough. Thankfully, Voodoo has no reason to worry about the idea of 'Nick's Name'. SHIELD Director? What? "Nicknames can often be shortened, 'diminutive' versions of your full name. Like yours. Koriand'r. Your nickname could be 'Kori'. But I like your full name, too." Voodoo can tell that this gentle flirting is normal for Kori, and doesn't seem to mind playing to it. She hasn't nearly the inhibitions or taboo mores of the rest of society. Given her method of employment, that would be a given. "There's nothing outward that gives away that I am not human. But there are some things internally." Enough that Priss has never once been to a regular hospital. Ever. "Tamaraneans. That's the name of your people?" The other woman stands up from the seat of her skybike, and reaches up to touch Kori's cheek lightly. "You are very pretty too. I guessed, from what I could feel from you, that it did not have to be a kiss. But you like it being a kiss. You prefer it." She doesn't say 'you enjoyed it', but that much would be obvious, right? "I don't think they will find your ship. I can feel their thoughts, if dimly. They feel frustrated and blind. They tracked you on radar, and heat signatures led them to the area. But the water has dissipated the heat, and they can't spot it down there. Right now, they're debating whether it was just a meteor or fallen comet." Having a telepath can be darned helpful at times. "The slider will not be detected by most sensors right now. The slavers have excellent systems for such things." At the touch to her cheek she smiles back, "Yes. My people are the Tamaraneans. My planet is Tamaran, which means dirt." A little laugh escapes her, which demonstrates that even though she's an alien, it is something their cultures share. "You can listen to thoughts? That is an amazing gift." Most people might instantly try throwing up mental defenses, even untrained, at the thought of a mind reader. Kori however doesn't show any inclination to do so. Instead she turns to watch the distant helicopters, "They are searching. Three rotorcraft. One has landed." Even with her telescopic vision there isn't much to be seen at this distance. Just tiny little gnats, so she turns back to Voodoo, "Kori? Oh...I have been called that before." She then blushes a bit, "Yes. I could have touched you, but I wanted to kiss you instead." She rubs her lips together, eyes smiling as she does so. "Are there many aliens on this Earth? I didn't see any on the images that I watched on the way here." "Not many, and none publicly." Voodoo answers when asked about other aliens. The rest, really, doesn't require an answer beyond the fact that she doesn't go anywhere. She can explain later that most human women won't be up for kissing strange alien girls right off the bat, and many not at all. It doesn't have to explained yet. "There are other aliens here, but they keep themselves hidden and secret. Some because they just don't want any trouble, others because they want to remain secreted while they amass power to their own ends. Most of the Kherubim are of the first. The Daemonites are the second." Which would make them natural enemies, and make Priss' status as a hybrid of the two very interesting. "And yes. 'Listening to thoughts' is what 'telepath' means." Voodoo glances towards the cave entrance momentarily. "They're not finding anything, and they've decided with no sign of anything there's no reason to send for divers to search the water. Looks like your 'slider' will be safe." Hopefully it will be safe from the slavers as well, when or if they arrive. "Those you are fleeing. They are slavers? They enlsaved you, and you escaped?" Koriand'r nods along as she listens to Voodoo, then nods in reply, "Yes. I was a slave. But I am not one now. I am free now." She smiles at the sound of that, "I am free. I chose a planet at random, one that was far from civilization. One I could make my new home. I think that I want to be one of the first kind of aliens. I do not need power. I have power." She considers it a bit more then says, "It sounds like your two parts that are not human are very different from each other." Then she turns around to look out over the distant dark forest, "You can hear their thoughts from here? You are quite sensitive. Is it loud? Hearing all those thoughts in your head like that? The big city that I was heading for must be very very loud." Voodoo smiles, mask down, as she looks up at the golden-hued beauty. "Hey. I like the first kind of alien much better than the second. I hunt the second, in order to stop them." And kill them. But that comes later. Vodoo smiles, glancing towards the cave opening. "They're the only human thoughts within several miles, which makes it easy to filter them out and listen in. I can't hear animal thoughts, or plants if they have them. I sometimes get emotional reads from animals, but not usually and they're easy for me to filter out." Voodoo turns unerringly towards the direction of New York City. "The city is called 'New York City, and it is one of the largest on this planet, and one of the most populous. It can get loud, but I have learned to deal with it. I also find places where I can rest and pull down my shields to relax." Without that, she'd go insane. "Once the military is gone, I'll take you to the city. I think I can help you find make your way here, and keep from being noticed by the government. But I do need to ask about your people's taboos regarding nudity and sex." Truth is, Kori won't be naked at the Club, most likely, and won't be engaging in sex if she doesn't want to. But since it all revolves around those things, she had better ask now, not later. No angry aliens at the Club if she can help it. Kori lifts her brows up, "You hunt them to stop them from being power hungry? Does that mean you hunt the Daemonites? They are wanting the power?" She steps into the cave a bit deeper, peering inside, eyes glowing in the dark. "Oh...that sounds very difficult. To shield yourself all the time." At the question about her taboos she turns, "Taboos?" Then she processes the word, rolling it around in her head, "I do not think we have these taboos. We do not go around nude all of the time. But we are not ashamed of our bodies or of sex. Sex is a good thing. Is there some sort of problem?" "I hunt them to keep them from hurting humans. To prevent them from gathering the power they want to take over. And yes, I hunt the Daemonites. They want power. They crave and hunger for it." Voodoo explains. "It's not easy. But I learned. Still, it's why I need those places to relax and let my shields down." It's nice to meet someone who appreciates that it can suck to need to do that. Voodoo chuckles at Kori's question. "It's not a 'problem'. The majority society of this planet does have taboos. About nudity. And about sex. It would take me a long time to explain them, and I'm no big brain. All I can tell you is what I see. But the place where I can help you fit in is a place that privately, quietly, flaunts those taboos. I work there as a dancer, dressing and performing to entice and arouse the costumers." She then asks, "I don't suppose you dance, Kori?" Kori focuses on the description of what it is that Voodoo does. She nods in understanding and adds in a frown at the thought of power hungry aliens. She's had plenty of experience with those. She lost her home planet and Tamaran itself lost its freedom to such things. At the talk of the shields she looks into the cave, "Do you come to such places often? It looks like no one has ever been here." Other than the few cigarette butts and trash from careless explorers in the past. She turns around in a circle, "I have danced for countless men, women, and other sexes and genders. I have done much more than that in the last few years of my slavery. I do not count myself as a stage dancer by training, but I have had training in dance. Yes." "Places like this? No, I don't come to places like this often at all. I happened to spot this cave when I was flying over the trees to find your ship, and you." Voodoo answers, smiling. Yeah, she is totally a city girl. That's just the way it is. "You won't be a slave, Kori. I won't let anyone enslave you again. But doing this, dancing, we please these customers, because they pay the club a lot of money. The club, in return, pays us a lot of money to entertain their members. That money is what we use to pay for food and shelter and clothing and other things." Yes. Other things. Like anti-grav boosters and power cells. "You don't have to do this. But it's the easiest thing I can offer. And I have contacts there that can help us to hide you so that the governments do not find you." And if she can get Kori to help her hunt Daemonites? So much the better! Kori looks about the cave and sighs with a smile, "I would not want to live in this cave. I prefer beds for sleeping." After a slight pause she purses her lips in thought, "I will not become a slave again. I can dance as a free woman. I can please men and women for money." Not that she's really familiar with the whole money thing, but she does grasp the basic concept, "If you are offering me this, then I will accept it. I trust you Voodoo. And this place you talk about sounds like it would be a good place for me to go too." Voodoo smiles. "Alright then. The military folks are leaving. I don't want to upset you, but can I convince you to ride on this bike with me, back to the city? Your method of flight is very beautiful, and I imagine it's pretty liberating. But we don't want reports of the glowing firetrail leading to the city from back here near that site. We don't need those guys looking for you." Kori's trust is accepted as both the welcome thing and the burden that it is. Now she has to make sure she is worthy of that trust. Voodoo walks to the bike and sits astride it, patting the back seat. "Just straddle the seat like I am, put your feet on those rear pegs, and wrap your arms around me. I'll fly us to the city stealthy, so that they won't catch us or be looking for us. And I'll take you to the club." She could take Kori to her apartment, and she might. But not before she talks about it with Joan. It's a promise she made, and one she intends to keep. "Welcome to Earth, Koriand'r." Kori looks at the bike then at the seat indicated. "Okay. That is smart." She swings up behind Voodoo and for lack of better handles, and well, because holding on sounds like fun, she holds on to the woman in question. "I understand. Your bike is more stealthy than Tamaranean flight. Our soldiers use vehicles for that very reason when need be." Settling in behind Voodoo she smiles, "Thank you Voodoo. It is good to be free."